Hometown Glory
by MJK6
Summary: AUish. What do you do when you've left everything you've ever known behind? Do you go searching for it or leave it in the past? A Brucas story. Really bad at summaries but give this a try. I promise it'll be worth it.
1. The Beginning

Alright so this is my first story here. I don't really know how to describe it but let's see where this takes us. I can't promise updates weekly, but I CAN promise that they'll be at LEAST every two weeks.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plotline. Because Peyton and Lucas would absolutely NOT be together if I did.

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It's a funny concept. Time that is. We live our lives following it. Time spent with others, time spent in work, time wasted on meaningless tasks... however, the only time that people hold dear to is the time they spend away from others. Even if you've written the other person off, perhaps a failed relationship or a friendship, eventually you come around to realizing how much time it's been. It's a funny concept though… some say time heals all wounds, but without some sort of finality or closure how can it? Time only pushes these feelings, these emotions, these wounds down deeper, until finally, one day they burst out; for better or for worse…

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Stepping back onto the river court, his home away from home brought a rush of emotions to the front of his mind. It had been four years… four long years away from Tree Hill. Four years; a string of failed dates, a best-selling novel and a semi-successful assistant coaching stint at a small college… years later and he was finally back. This simple court, paved with coarse concrete, two old rusted chain-link basketball nets, old rusted metal backboards, a weathered picnic table and barely visible spray paint held the first 18 years of his life. Simple words could not describe what this court meant. Sure he'd talked about it in his novel, but even so he knew he could never capture the beauty, the history, the _feeling_ that it held. He hadn't so much as stepped back into Tree Hill since he had left for college. His mom went traveling with Andy and Lily and even when they were back for visits they went to his apartment. They spent the holidays there, Lucas claiming that he needed to be there for work, for college, for coaching. But if he was really honest with himself it was because he had been too scared to come back. Maybe it was the memories it held, maybe he wanted to forget, or **maybe** just leaving for awhile would help him forget everything that Tree Hill held. But he wasn't the only one who hadn't stepped back in Tree Hill. He knew from Skills that no one had come back. At all. The only link he had to Tree Hill told him what was going on. The only two people he had kept in touch with were Haley and Nathan. Everyone left and never came back; Peyton to L.A., Nathan and Haley with him to Charlotte, Mouth to Indiana, and Rachel and Brooke to New York. Four long years and he still could remember, vividly, the events that happened the last night he was in Tree Hill. And whoever said that time heals all wounds was wrong; because quite simply, four years later and it still haunted him.

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New York had been good. It had given her a fresh start. No one knew who she was when she first arrived at JFK and now they only knew her from her company. She was the owner, founder and sole designer of c/b. A multi-million dollar company that had quickly found success with her savvy designs and through connections she had made while building up her company. She had little time to have a personal life, making appearances only at the functions she had to. She hadn't been on a date since Chase back in High School. She'd found herself a new life, albeit a lonely one, better than most could dream of yet she still wasn't happy. Here she was, 22 years old, more money than most people could dream of having and she was complaining about her life. Selfish, but self-pity wasn't something she'd allow herself to feel. But if she could, she'd give it all up in a second, simply for a family. Her lack of a family growing up, the lack of support, and the emotional abandonment that she felt growing up only seemed to dig a bigger hole as she got older. Time heals all wounds, huh? She'd laugh in that guy's face if she ever met him. But who was she kidding… she'd had a chance at a family but because of her own insecurities she didn't allow herself to have it. It only seemed right that he would eventually end up with Peyton right? There were obviously destined to be together. It had to be written in the stars or something. They were too alike; they fit each other so perfect… He'd probably already found his way back to her. Not that she'd know; she hadn't kept in touch with anyone besides Rachel since the last night she'd been in Tree Hill. But that was why she wanted to go back. It was the only place she'd ever felt at home and she felt that it would be the only place she could find love and start a family. So maybe that was why she was going back. Four years later. Something was drawing her back…

Flashback

_Text from Lucas. That's what her phone read. _

"_Meet me tonight at the river court. 10 O'clock. Don't tell anyone." _

_When she had first read it she had been confused. Why so late? Why alone? Why tell no one? It made no sense. But she decided that it couldn't hurt. It was their last night in Tree Hill and he probably was just trying to talk to everyone one last time. But they had done that last night. Why tonight? Again? If nothing else she'd go out of pure curiosity. Hopefully Chase wouldn't notice._

_He knew she'd come, if nothing else but out of pure curiosity. He knew it was a stretch, what he was about to do… he knew how'd she'd react at first but he hoped there was a part of her that would agree with him, that a part of her that still loved him enough. As he sat on the picnic table, overlooking the river, Lucas sat thinking of how he was going to do this. It was crazy. Stupid. But I guess that's what happens when you're in love._

"_You know if you don't stop brooding your face is gonna get stuck like that" a voice said. He knew who it was. That beautiful, raspy voice that only his pretty girl held. _

_He turned his head towards her as she took a seat next to him, cracking the smallest hint of a smile, "someone told me that before… but you know I still don't listen"._

_She smiled at his response. He seemed distant tonight. She could tell he wanted to talk, but his demeanor seemed closed off. It would probably take some time before he'd actually get out what he wanted to say. "Jeez Luke… and your mom thought __**I**__ was a bad influence on you… wonder what she'd say if she knew you were the one suggesting we meet up… late at night… in the dark… alone" she joked as she raised an eyebrow suggestively._

"_Funny Brooke" he smirked, "you know she adores you". How was he going to do this? He didn't even know how to start and he could tell she was anxious. She didn't look it, but he just knew. "Chase wondering where you are?" he questioned, with a slight twinge of jealousy attached, hoping she wouldn't pick up on it._

"_I told him I wanted to go for a walk" she said simply, "I just didn't tell him where or how long". She hesitated, and then continued, "What's going on Luke… I mean it's nice to hang out and everything but it's obvious you need to talk about something and I know its something big so….."_

"_Are you ready to leave?" Lucas asked simply, pausing for a moment, collecting his thoughts, "I thought I was but now that its here… that its time to go… I dunno it's kind of weird, you know?"_

_Brooke smiled sadly, "Yeah I understand. It's funny Luke, I always though about this day, you know, the day I was going to leave… start over. I've always looked towards it, being on my own, fully responsible… not that I haven't already" she said with a hint of bitterness cracking through her voice, "but I guess I never realized how comfortable I got here. I mean…" she paused briefly before continuing as if she wasn't sure if she wanted to admit this out loud, "… I finally found a family here. With all of you guys. Back when we were dating, with you and Karen, with Nathan and Haley, with Rachel, even with Peyton. I guess I'm not so sure I want to give that up" she finished, in an indifferent voice. Lucas sat for a moment, fully understanding where this was going. Just as he about to speak, Brooke started again, this time with clear bitterness accenting her voice, "then everything with you and Peyton went down. Whenever I think about that, I realize that I am ready. I've been independent for so long, this is my chance at a new life, in New York at a design company with a chance at a new start. I get to be whoever I want to be. I don't have to be the brainless slut anymore. I can be whoever I want. No one will know me and only __**I**__ can define myself. I'm ready to leave this drama behind. I'm ready to define me. Not through boys or booze or anything else. I'm ready for __**me**__"._

_Lucas sat there, blown away. Maybe he didn't know where this was going after all. Brooke Davis had just let herself show that she was only human and though she put on a great façade, she was letting it go. And all of the sudden he wasn't so sure about what he came here to do. How could he propose to her now, knowing that he was a huge part of the damaged Brooke Davis that sat next to him? Words, as usual, weren't coming to him with Brooke. They sat there, after Brooke's confession, Lucas brooding over all of this and Brooke over what she had just said._

_Well he had to say something. So instead of thinking about it, he just went with the flow for once. Dropping anything he had already drafted in his head, simply for once he was going to just go with it, "Brooke, I'm not going to waste your time anymore with apologies. It's not what you want to hear. You want reasons and as much as I wish I could give them to you, I can't. I have none. The only thing I can say for my actions is that I was stupid. Simple as that. I've thought a lot about why we broke up. I never understood why because I just couldn't understand. I understand now. I get it. I never did let you all the way in. But what I want you to know, I never meant for it to be like that, but I was confused and angry. I didn't know how to open up. I was infatuated with Peyton and didn't realize what was right in front of me. I want you to know that I regret that everyday and am more than disappointed for what I did. I lost myself for awhile… I think I've found myself again. And now that I think I'm back to where I was, I'm going to forgive myself for breaking you. For making you feel like you weren't enough because I wasn't enough for you. I could have been but I wasn't. I didn't deserve the strong, beautiful, independent, smart, caring, and loyal woman that I had" he said, while looking out to the river, the river soothing him, the peaceful nature helping him through what he needed to say. "I came here tonight and asked you to come because I had something I wanted to ask you. I don't know if I deserve to anymore but now that I think about it, I have something I want to show you" he told her solemnly as he reached into his bag and pulled out his book. "All those nights I was busy typing… this is what I was working on. I finished it up right after we broke up, while I still thought that Peyton was something to me. But I want to show you this part. Sometimes you can write a whole book about another person and people will receive that as the person you love or loved. But __sometimes__ all it takes is one line, or one simple phrase for an author to convey his true meaning. That's the beauty of literature. All it takes sometimes is one sentence to change an entire book" he finished as he opened the book to the page that held the word's that he wanted her to read. He handed her the book and pointed out the passage he wanted her to read._

_Brooke started to read it out loud, softly, "Brilliant and beautiful and brave, in two years she'd grown more than anyone I had ever known, Brooke Davis is going to change the world someday. And I'm not sure that she even knows it."_

"_I want to finish saying something before you say anything" he pleaded quietly after Brooke finished reading. She nodded her head, allowing him to continue. "I don't know how to describe what I'm feeling right now. I'm kind of lost. I always seem to lose my head when I'm around you. I know we agreed that we didn't have that love that Whitey and Camilla had. But I lied Brooke. I felt that that's what you wanted; you needed to hear so that you could move on. As mush as I wanted to keep fighting for you, I wanted to see you happy. I didn't feel like I could do that for you anymore. So I figured if I said we didn't have that love you'd be able to be free. Well I was wrong Brooke. I can't be happy without you. I wish everyday that I could go back and fix things… go back and take everything I did to hurt you back. But I can't. Regardless… I love you Brooke, I always have and I always will. From the moment you were in my backseat to the broken girl I've helped create that's sitting next to me now. So this is why I asked you to come tonight. To tell you how I felt and ask you something. I still think about what we could have been Brooke. I still wanted us to have that. So maybe I'm crazy but" he paused for a second, "it's only for you. I came here tonight to ask you to marry me; to tell you that even though we are going to be thousands of miles apart that we could use that space to work out our relationship. Talk to each other. Let each other all the way in; that in asking you to marry me, we could make a promise that even with the distance; we'd save ourselves for each other. I've realized that I don't deserve that. After listening to how much I broke you, I can't. Instead I'm going to ask you to not forget me". Lucas pulled out the ring that he had for Brooke and took it out of the box and stared at it for a minute before he continued, "this is Keith's ring. I told my mom that I'd never give it to anyone unless I was absolutely __**sure**__ I thought we were it for each other. I'm sure of us Brooke, so I'm going to ask you to take this. I'm going to ask you to keep this, until you're ready for me. And if you aren't ever ready for me then keep it anyway. There will never be anyone else that can come close to you. So keep that as a promise from me that I will wait for you; that if you ever come to me again and tell me you'd like to give it another shot that I'll drop anything for you. You don't even have to say anything, just show me this ring. I'm not saying don't date, and I'm not saying I won't, but I'm saving my true heart for you". With that he held out the ring for her, "you don't have to wear it. Just keep it safe for me". For the first time in a long time Lucas felt like he finally got everything out. That he was finally completely and openly honest with her. Now he just had to judge her reaction…. Whatever it may be._

_Brooke sat stunned. At first she was angry. Really angry. Furious even. But she kept to her promise that she would stay quiet. As the speech went on she felt herself getting less angry but more annoyed. She wasn't sure how she felt about this, but she sure wasn't going to open her heart to him again. Not now, maybe not ever. "Luke I…" she paused trying to find the right words, "I don't really know what to say to that. I don't know if I can take that ring. I don't want to lead you on and I can't say that I'll ever be ready for us again. We've been through a lot. This is just like before I left for California Luke, but I'm not coming back this time. We've just never worked out you know? So I guess I can't say the same back to you. It's a shame Luke. I gave you my heart; you're the first guy that made me feel anything, made me feel like I was enough. Then Peyton happened, and I started to question myself again. Now I have a chance to be me, and I'm going to take that. I know we can go our own ways but I can't say that I'll wait for you or hold myself back. I don't want to give you false hope. So I can't take your ring Luke. I can't give you something that I don't think will ever happen again" she finished. Her voice was indifferent and it was tough to read. She felt tears start to collect but she held them in. She wasn't going to let him make her cry again. She stood up to leave, turning to Lucas and giving him the smallest of pecks on the cheek. "I'll always miss what we had, but you've always been meant for someone else. I'm sorry". _

_She started to walk away as she heard him say softly, "I'm sorry too Brooke. I understand where you are coming from. There's nothing I can say to change your mind. But I'm not keeping this ring. I'm leaving it here. Because this... this is where I leave my heart. I'll always love you Brooke". With that he placed the ring on the picnic table where he was sitting and walked away leaving a speechless Brooke behind._

End Flashback


	2. Chapter 2

Alright I know this is pretty short, but I wanted to get something up so you guys know I'm not going to abandon this. I've been really busy with school lately, but I'm working on getting these chapters ready, I promise. I'm not really all too happy with this chapter, but I promise it'll get better.

Thank You all so very much for the story alerts and reviews. When I get more time I'll put some more personal thank-you's up. I appreciate it so very much.

Hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: I still own nothing. And Monday's episode sucked. Fuck Julian.

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"Now boarding flight 4787 to Tree Hill, North Carolina".

Brooke took a deep breath and stood up. She couldn't believe herself.

**She **was going back to Tree Hill.

It had been four years since she'd talked with anyone from home, save for Rachel who had disappeared for awhile and was now in rehab in Utah. So here she was… alone again, getting ready to go home. She couldn't say she wasn't worried though. She was extremely nervous how people would take her return, if everyone would be mad... angry...happy? Little did she know almost everyone was returning, all for their own reasons. Her biggest worry though, was Lucas. What would their first interaction be… would he be angry with her? Would they even have one? Would he have moved on? Was he still hung up on her? Did she want him to be? She was sure he was probably hurt by her actions that fateful night four years ago…especially with the way that they left things that night. As far as he knew, the ring was long gone… either rotted away or pawned off by some local who had stumbled upon it or even on some random girls finger. Little did Lucas know that after he walked away so did she. She wasn't about to play his games and if he wanted to be stupid and leave such a nice piece of jewelry laying around for anyone to take, then that was just fine with her. But she couldn't believe the audacity of him to just leave Keith's ring lying there. What an idiot! Seriously who leaves a ring like that just lying around? Brooke had made it almost home, all the while thinking about everything that had happened and realized what a mistake it was for him to just leave the ring there, nonetheless Keith's ring, on a park bench. So she walked back and picked it up. She promised herself that she'd give it back to him in the morning, before she left and he'd just have to take it back. But as she woke up the next day she realized she didn't want to give it back. She'd keep it as a reminder of what they had, but also as a reminder of the pains that she went through and to never make the same mistakes again. Little did she know how useful the ring would be over the next four years. Anytime she didn't want to get hit on endlessly when she went out or if she just wanted another excuse to get out of a potential date, she'd take the ring off her necklace and put it on. She didn't use it much because she really only went out on "dates" for social appearances. It was never dinner and a movie, only premieres and public appearances. But now, especially lately, she'd wondered about Lucas and his promise. She wondered if he had moved on… if he was dating someone, if he had dated/was dating Peyton… was he married? Maybe it was her desire for a family but she'd been putting more thought into it lately. Maybe it was just her loneliness… but if she was going to be honest with herself, which she never was anymore, she still loved Lucas deep down. She didn't go out on dates for a reason. She didn't want to have guys interested in her for a reason. All the guys that she had an interest in always had something wrong with them, never enough for her, and she knew the reason. She compared every single one of them to Lucas and it drove her crazy. She wanted more than anything to let him go, but it **always** came back to him. And it drove her absolutely fucking nuts. It's not like it all mattered anyways, she'd made her choice four years ago and rehashing the past would do no good.

"We are now landing in Tree Hill. We hope you've had a great flight…" the pilot started speaking over the intercom, giving her the weather report and all the other little things they did.

Wow. She landed already? She didn't remember boarding. She didn't remember much of any of the flight. Had she really just been on auto-pilot the entire flight, did this mean that much to her that it consumed her thoughts?

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Lindsey was supposed to arrive at 2:35 p.m. Lucas was on his way to pick her up for a meeting. They were going to discuss his new book and start preliminary editing on it. Her trip was planned for two weeks, in which they'd spend as much time editing it as possible, in preparation to present it to her bosses; which meant endless hours working closely, trying to get the novel perfected before being sent out. Lucas never particularly cared for this process, knowing it was an intense period of time that resulted in chopping and scrutinizing his work. As he sat there waiting and pondering everything he was about to encounter, something caught his eye. A flash of a familiar color. He froze for a second. There were millions of people out there… there was no possible way that was her. He stood up quickly and worked his way towards where he had seen the flash, pushing and bumping people all the way. He nearly made it there when he heard his name yelled.

"Lucas, over here!"

Lindsey, his book editor was yelling his name. With one last glance he searched the crowded airport, then turned around and made his way towards Lindsey. 'It couldn't have been. She has a life in New York. Why would she ever come back here? She has a company, a very successful one at that…' he rationalized and pushed the thoughts to the back of his mind. It wasn't her. It simply couldn't be. She'd told him her true feelings that night at the river court and he'd left his heart there with her. She hadn't attempted any communication with any of them since she'd left. It just wasn't her.

"Hey Lucas" greeted Lindsey.

"Hey Lindsey" he replied as he hugged her, "ready to get outta here?"

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As she walked out of the gate she felt indifferent. There was no one here to pick here up besides the limo driver since this was no longer a place she called home. But it felt like that, home that is. There was always something about this place that felt magical when you returned… like nothing had changed, that life could be simple, it could be relaxing.

Then she saw him.

Her eyes must have been deceiving her. No way could he have known she was coming. It couldn't be him. No way. Impossible.

But it _was_. He was sitting in a chair staring at the ground to the left of the gate, quite a ways away. She suddenly felt herself moving in his direction. She couldn't help it. It was like she was a fly drawn to the blue light. She had no clue what she'd say or why she was even moving towards him, but here she was. Just as she was opening her mouth to say something she heard a woman's voice behind her say quietly "Lucas…Lucas…where are you…" Thankfully the airport was packed with people getting off and on their planes because as soon as she heard that she peeled off, turning away from him. Just as she had turned she heard the girl yell, "Lucas…" Yeah, must be his girlfriend. She made it a few feet, placing her sunglasses on her face and slowly turned around. Just as she did, she saw the two hugging and what looked like kissing. Good thing she hadn't walked over to him. It was obviously his girlfriend. She heard him ask if the girl was ready to "get out of there" and that was enough for her. Well it looks like she'd made the right decision all those years ago.

**  
Obviously** he didn't mean a word he'd said.

Asshole.


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